Kathmandu, October 12

The elderly, who are taking shelter at Pashupati old-age home, do not have to worry about two square meals a day, but poor sanitation and hygiene at the old age home have posed serious threat to their health.

Elderly people living in the old age home do not have access to pure drinking water and safe toilet. The toilet built by Pashupati Area Development Trust on the premises of the old age home is in pathetic condition. The toilet gives foul smell for want of cleaning. Due to poor sanitation in the toilet, entire area has been polluted. It has increased the risk of old people suffering from different diseases like cholera.

Water supply to the old-age home has been disrupted due to various construction works in the area and they are compelled to drink contaminated water.

Moreover, the accommodation blocks at the old-age home are also old and not fit for the purpose. The home also lacks enough space. As a result, scores of elderly people have to be accommodated in crammed rooms. There are 160 elderly people, including 65 males and 95 females, currently staying at the home. Thirty-five of them are incapacitated.

It is stated that around 40 per cent of the elderly people living in the old-age home are getting old-age allowance and the rest are not getting it as they do not have citizenship certificates. Those elderly people deprived of the allowance have urged the authorities concerned to provide them with citizenship certificates.

Not only the old-age allowance, those without citizenship certificates are not eligible to get allowances provided to single women and the disabled.

The old-age home at Pashupati is the oldest in the country. It is being run with support of donors from within the country and abroad. The government has been managing the home.

The home spends around Rs 33,000 on food on a daily basis, which is collected through contributions made by donors. “Although the government allocates Rs 10 million every year for food, the budget freezes every year,” office secretary at the Pashupati old-age home Manoj Basnet said.

“Many elderly people are suffering from eye diseases. We are providing treatment in coordination with Tilganga Eye Hospital,” said secretary Basnet. A doctor is available for health check-ups three days a week, he said. Two nurses, including one from government quota, work at the shelter home.

On the occasion, PADT member secretary Dr Pradip Dhakal said public toilet at the entrance of the home would be cleaned and another well-equipped toilet would be built.

President of Women and Social Committee of the House of Representatives Nirudevi Pal said that the PADT had been directed to keep the toilet clean and solve drinking water problems at the old-age home within a week.